Wish I Could be There For You' one-shot
by The Rich Alder
Summary: What if Robin had met Chrom before she lost her memory? What if she hated him? And just where did Robin get her coat from, anyway?


Disclaimer: I don't own _Fire Emblem_

* * *

Chrom sighed. Even though he was surrounded by people on every side, he still felt completely alone. His eyes began to wander, desperately searching for something to entertain himself. Upon finding not a single interesting thing in the marketplace, he sighed once more. What was a 10 year-old to do?

Suddenly, he shuddered to a being enraptured in his thoughts, he had managed to get separated from his escorts. He started to panic. He had never been away from his guards in public before. In his blind panic, he began to run. _Maybe I'll run into them if I keep running, _he reasoned. Rounding the corner with no caution whatsoever, he slammed into someone. "Oof!" He got up and saw it was a girl he ran into. She seemed about his age, with white pigtails. She wore average townsfolk clothes and her grey eyes burned with indignation.

"Watch where you're going!" she snapped.

Chrom suddenly noticed that there were no other people in sight. He had rounded the corner into an alley. Suddenly realizing the situation, he shrunk away from the girl. Despite how nice the townspeople acted toward him, he knew they hated him. It's wasn't his fault; his father was the one plunging Ylisse into war. But they couldn't care less. He knew that, given the chance, almost all of the townsfolk would try to severely injure him. This girl could be one of those many people.

Her gaze softened upon gazing at his trembling figure. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Chrom blinked. _She's not going to hurt me?_ He stood up, but still eyed her warily. "I'm not hurt. In fact, I'm strong enough to take you on in a fight."

Her eyes turned blistering. "You're being stupid. Are you addlepated or something?"

Chrom gaze turned downward. "No. I just need to be on my guard."

"Why?"

"Because the townspeople hate me."

"Why do the townspeople hate you?"

"Because my father is the current exalt of Ylisse and he's declared war on Plegia. Everyone's being drafted into the army, even if they don't know how to fight."

The girl's gaze turned pensive for a moment. "I'm from Plegia."

Chrom gawked at her. "What are you doing here? If any one of my guards catches you, they'll smote off your head!"

She snorted. "I doubt it. I'm the master of hiding."

"Why would you say that?" he asked.

Her chest swelled with pride. "My mother and I have been on the run for years. We live in Ylisse now, but I was born in Plegia."

Chrom didn't know why she would be proud of something like that, but he decided not to ask. "Why are you on the run?"

Her face darkened. "My father. He's looking for me."

"Who's your father?"

"I dunno." Her face lit up with panic. "I have to go!"

Chrom caught her arm as she turned around. "Wait! What's your name?"

"Robin," was the breathless reply he got as she sped off. Scratching his head, Chrom walked out of the alley to find his guards. They surrounded him, but didn't reprimand him. Instead, they led him home.

Chrom's mind wandered once more, but this time, with a destination. He kept thinking of that girl. And the mysterious way she had to leave. _I'll probably never see her again, _he thought. Nevertheless, he still never stopped thinking about her for years to come.

* * *

Mother had told me to hurry up. "Your father's looking for us," she told me earlier. "He's nearby. I want you to go to the marketplace and buy some eggs. When you return, we're leaving."

I had deflated at the thought of leaving another house. Although, it wasn't like I was leaving any friends. Mother wouldn't risk letting me have any. She was too worried about one of them working for Father. Whoever my father is, he must be powerful. His reach stretches far, obliterating any chance I have at a normal life.

Obediently, I hurried toward the market, unchallenged by anyone. I acted as if I were a normal citizen. As if I had a right to be there. The current exalt apparently didn't like Plegians. Even though I looked the same as any Ylissean, the exalt still didn't want me here. It doesn't matter that I've spent almost all of my life in Ylisse and I don't even know what Plegia looks like. And it doesn't matter that I'm only a child and I can't hurt anyone. This country is surrounded by bigotry.

Suddenly, I slammed into a boy. "Oof!" he cried out.

Slowly, I recovered and sat up. "Watch where you're going!" I snapped.

He shrank away from me, a genuine look of fear on his face. Immediately, I forgot about my momentary irritation and instead felt concerned. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" I asked.

For a moment, he says nothing. Then, he stands up. "I'm not hurt. In fact, I'm strong enough to take you on in a fight."

Why would he worry about that now? I knew I didn't look like a threat to anyone. Still, I _could _seriously injure someone with the magic my mother taught me. But he didn't know that. And I didn't know why he would be so wary. "You're being stupid. Are you addlepated or something?"

He scowled. "No. I just need to be on my guard."

"Why?"

"Because the townspeople hate me."

"Why do the townspeople hate you?"

"Because my father is the current exalt of Ylisse and he's declared war on Plegia. Everyone's being drafted into the army, even if they don't know how to fight."

_That _interested me. "I'm from Plegia," I told him. I said it in a way as if I didn't care. As if it were just a small thing of my past.

His gaze turned panicked. "What are you doing here? If any one of my guards catches you, they'll smote off your head!"

That didn't worry me at all. "I doubt it. I'm the master of hiding."

"Why would you say that?"

"My mother and I have been on the run for years. We live in Ylisse now, but I was born in Plegia."

He seemed confused but didn't voice his thoughts. Instead, he spoke about the current topic. "Why are you on the run?"

I scowled. "My father. He's looking for me."

"Who's your father?"

"I dunno," I replied. Suddenly, I remembered that Mother told me to be quick about buying the eggs. Father was close and he might've struck while I was gone. How could I have been such a fool?! I began to run away. "I have to go!"

He snagged my arm as I tried to scurry away. "Wait! What's your name?"

"Robin," I replied breathlessly. As I ran away, I recounted bitterly how he hadn't understood the gravity of the situation. There were just too many differences between us. Besides, I hated his father. And it's clear his father held no love for me or any other Plegian, either. He might've been a good friend. If I had a normal life, maybe. But it was clear that wasn't going to happen.

* * *

My eyes widened in fear and terror at the sight of the small cottage we had lived in for a year aflame. Where was Mother? Utterly distraught, I dropped the eggs I had bought earlier and ran toward the blaze. I felt embers scorch my hair and my face but I didn't care. I needed to find Mother. After a while, I still couldn't find her. "Mother!" I screamed.

"Robin," I heard the choked whisper.

I knelt down to find my mother buried under the collapsed roof. Her frail body was under tons of pressure. I stroked her face with my hand. "Mother," I choked out.

She reached out her only free hand -her right one- at me. "Be quiet," she told me gently. "They're close by. Your father and his men set the house on fire looking for you. If they find you, all of the hiding will have been for naught. Just please...run. Save yourself."

I grabbed her arm and tried to pull her. "I'm not leaving you," I whispered, obeying her order to be quiet. "Where will I go without you?"

She winced in pain. "Anywhere. As long as it's not here." She tried to stroke my face and looked into my eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, poppet," she told me.

I started to cry. "But you can! Just get out from under this roof."

"I'm afraid I can't. My body is crushed and crippled. Even if I get out, I'll never be able to walk." A piece of burning wood fell down right next to my figure, causing me to flinch. My mother narrowed her eyes. "Now run. I didn't want to scream, but I will if you don't go," she warned.

"But..." I protested weakly.

She sighed. "My coat's lying over there" -she pointed to her left- "You can have it. Just please promise me you won't wear it. The coat is Plegian and you know the exalt doesn't particularly like us at the moment. Now grab it and run."

Tears still running down my face, I gripped her hand one last time before running away from the inferno as fast as I could. I found the coat in a crumpled heap on the ground. Despite my mother's warnings, I still put it on anyway. It was too big for me, but I knew I would grow into it.

That night, I slept in the woods. I couldn't suppress the feeling of loathing rising in my throat. For the first time in my life, I thought I truly hated someone. I hated my father; I hated the exalt; and I hated that boy, whatever his name was. If my father didn't exist, then I wouldn't have to live like this. If the exalt didn't exist, I wouldn't have to be hated and loathed by everyone. If that boy didn't exist, maybe I would've been able to save Mother. Maybe I wouldn't be completely alone. Oh, well. There was no use crying about it. _Wish you could be here for me, _I thought as I curled up in the dirt.

Fin

* * *

Hey, I'm back with another one. Anyway, I just thought of this one night while wondering if Robin had ever met Chrom before he found her in that field. Soon, it turned into this. And then it turned sad. And I decided not to describe Robin's mother too much since she isn't really canon in the game. No one really knows what she looks like, though I can guess Robin takes after her. I mean, does Robin look _anything _like Validar? And I think Robin got her coat from her mother. Maybe as a parting gift. Just another little headcanon of mine. And I don't know about the "poppet" thing. I just wanted her to say it. Also, I wrote these stories so long ago. It's like, "Summary:" and I'm like, "What was it about again?" I can't even remember what some of these were about. Oh, well. Hope you enjoyed~


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